While the easel of this invention has features which make it particularly suitable as an artist's easel for classroom and teaching environments, it is also well suited for use as a portable display stand because of the combination of sturdiness, steadiness, and lightness, along with ease of erecting and folding the easel and versatility in adjustment.
Prior art easels generally fall into one of two classes. Either they are extremely complex and therefore expensive to manufacture, and often complicated to adjust and to fold and erect; or they are basically unstable. Many prior easels permit inadequate adjustment and do not securely retain the workpiece. For example, the easels shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,032,872; 2,526,527; 3,122,858; and 3,368,786; all have "T" bases in which the head and leg of the base are pivoted to each other to permit folding of the easel, and thus provide bases which are considerably less stable than a rigid integral base. Additionally, people who regularly use easels and therefore are familiar with various types, generally consider "T" bases of any type basically unstable. A massive easel with a rigid integral base is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,524,898, but this is not a folding easel and is of extremely complicated construction particularly so far as adjustment is concerned, and is apparently intended for holding a very heavy workpiece. For what they accomplish, all five of the previously noted easels are of a complicated construction requiring an excessive number of individual parts and with the possible exception of the easel shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,524,898, appear to be basically unstable for normal use.
An old patent granted in 1889, U.S. Pat. No. 404,146, shows an easel with something approaching a triangular base, but without one leg of the triangle. The pivotal connections within the base, as well as the pivotal connections in the two front supports would result in a very unstable and unsteady easel after the parts have worn but a small amount. Additionally, no provision is made for securing a workpiece to the easel, but rather the workpiece simply rests on a pair of pins selectively received in holes in the front supports of the easel. A "Clothes Support" is shown in a U.S. Pat. No., Des. 186,517, granted in 1959, wherein a leg of a triangular base supports a column, the top of which supports a horizontal arm overlying the base, apparently for supporting clothes hangers. There is no indication in this design patent whether or not the clothes support is foldable, nor would this support be suitable for supporting a workpiece in the manner of a typical easel. While not believed to be particularly pertinent to the present invention, a "Work Holder" shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,606, appears to be an adaptation of an adjustable camera support but having four instead of three telescopic legs with an adjustable connection between the leg unit and a workpiece supporting column, such adjustable connection being apparently unnecessary in a typical artist's easel. However, the patent does show a square supporting column telescopically receiving various clamping collars.
The easel of this invention incorporates substantially all of the desirable easel features of the prior art but in an easel of substantially simpler and less expensive design, and additionally incorporates highly desirable functional features not found in prior easels as well as an aesthetically pleasing configuration. Since the preferred embodiment of the present easel is constructed of steel with major portions of the easel being square steel tubes, the easel is extremely strong while being of relatively light weight, approximately 18 pounds, and foldable to a compact package so that it is relatively simple to carry and requires little storage space. Since the easel is galvanized steel, the galvanizing increases its weight slightly, and if a heavier easel is desired, the triangular base may be galvanized both inside and outside, or may be solid steel bars which also are preferably galvanized. In the environment of an artist's easel, the galvanized steel provides a surface which may be readily cleaned of hardened paints and other materials since the galvanized coating is relatively immune to deterioration from various solvents and may be scraped without appreciable damage.
While other configurations of bases may be provided, if desired, the triangular base is particularly stable and requires a very little floor space. The single supporting column of square steel tubing and the similar telescopic brace, and the sturdy substantially play-free pivotal connections between these parts combine to provide what is believed to be an extremely unique artist's easel. The cross-pieces which hold the workpiece are infinitely adjustable along the column to add to the versatility of the easel, and firmly clamp the workpiece in place. Inverted V-shaped parts on the upper cross-member snugly grip the top of the workpiece and secure it against forward and rearward movement. The easel is securely retained in its folded position without the use of special holding means and is compact and easy to handle when folded.